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Planning Your WeddingOverviewThey say every little girl dreams of the perfect wedding, awash in flowers and bridal gowns. But when the time comes to plan your perfect wedding the experience can be daunting. The wedding planning can create stress for the bride and groom to be. This may be your first experience as a couple in decision making, compromise and concession. The wedding needs to incorporate the needs of the bride and groom to be, but will also need to factor in other critical elements such as budget, location and guests lists. Often the wedding planning process also addresses the dreams of the bride and groom’s parents for the wedding they envisioned. Balancing the desires of relatives and family members, the importance of business associates and the needs of the couple can be very challenging. Do It Your SelfFor the bride to be with the time, organizing skill and patience; planning the wedding can be a great way to bring your vision to life. It is important to have an overall strategy for the wedding both in terms of budget and vision. If you do the research before creating the budget numbers, the gaps and problems that can be encountered with vendors can be reduced. If you are expecting 4000 stems of flowers for $50 and the florist is expecting $50 a stem, there will be big problems. Know the value and comparable market price for the items you want. If you want tulips in the dead of winter, it will cost more. If you are using local products, from a local source you will usually save on transportation and shipping costs.If you have always dreamed of exotic orchids but find they are breaking your budget, look for other areas that you can save money. Some elements are worth compromise in other areas. There are great tools to aid in the planning process; web sites, books and even smart phone applications. The budgeting, time management and collection of detail can be overwhelming. Plan the process, record the detail and follow up with vendors. Communication will prevent many problems.
Hire HelpUsing a wedding planner can offer a great option for managing the conflicting elements of budget, family and dream visions. The relationship with your wedding planner needs to click, as the relationship requires trust, communication and great planning and execution skills. The right wedding planner will be a master of budget constraints, will be the liaison with the vendors and will keep you on time and task as the process develops. There are no requirements for wedding planners however, so it is possible to get a novice or someone without the network, skills or expertise to create the wedding you envision. Be certain to ask friends and relatives for references, check with professional organization directories, and do reference checks or ask to see wedding events prior to signing a contract with the planner. Venue ChoiceOne of the early decisions is where the wedding ceremony and the reception will be held. Hotels, banquet halls and destination wedding locations often offer packages that include many of the vendors such as catering or caterer, florist, wedding cake and perhaps the music or DJ. There may be restrictions on bringing in your own vendors, so it is important to check for venue policies prior to deciding on location. The venue may charge a flat rate, per person charge or an hourly rate. Be certain to find out all additional charges. Picture itThe wedding photographer and videographer are important elements in the planning of your wedding. Compare a number of vendors before making your selection. The vendor should be able to provide you with samples of their work, references or testimonials from other clients and information about what wedding packages they offer. It is important to know if they have a structured selection of images or if there will be spontaneous photos as well. Communicate clearly any special photos or video moments that are important for you to have captured. Confirm the date, call to follow up and get all information in writing. The CakeThe days of a white cake with butter cream frosting have long since vanished into a wide range of cake styles, flavors, fillings and accessories. Wedding cakes need to be built for transportation and display so they need proper support and construction. Often friends or relatives will offer to make the cake, but without the proper support you may be watching your cake slide on to the floor. Schedule tastings, compare flavor and filling combinations and bring sketches or pictures of cakes you would like to have. You should also be able to see models, photos or samples of cakes from previous ceremonies. The cake should take as good as it looks. Consider alternatives to the traditional cake such as cupcake trees, petit fours or dessert buffets. Wedding InvitationsThe tone of the wedding is set with the invitation. Many brides are choosing e-vites as a more casual and inexpensive option for the invitation. If you are planning a formal wedding and reception, you need a formal invitation. Save the date cards, escort cards and place marker cards can all be done in similar styles. Shopping around for bargains can provide big savings in this area, but be clear about where the savings come from. Online purchases may be non-returnable, so get samples prior to purchasing. Wedding FavorsWedding favors are certainly not a requirement, but are a great way to thank the guest for coming and participating in your special day. Beach weddings may offer unique wedding favors like chocolates in the shape of shells, sand sculptures or shell collections. Formal weddings may offer truffles, crystal or glass trinkets or candles for the guests. This is your special day. Be clear in your vision, be precise in your budget planning and research vendors and market value. Try to keep your needs in the picture while balancing all the other concerns. Most importantly, remember it is a day, just a day. No days are flawless, perfect weddings are rare. Have a vision, but have back up plans. Remember to focus as much on each other and the marriage as you do on the wedding.  |
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